Competency Based Interviews

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  • Love them or loathe them, competency based interviews are regularly used to evaluate skills and see how candidates react in certain scenarios, allowing interviewers to see more than just employment history or qualifications.

  • Often used for entry-level positions and volume hires where experience can be less crucial and a consistent approach is necessary, employers reply on them to predict how candidates will likely perform in the role and fit with team dynamics.

    • Key competencies employers look for include:

    • Teamwork
    • Responsibility
    • Communication
    • Decision making
    • Leadership
    • Problem-solving
    • Organisation
    • Goal orientation
  • So how do you know if you’re being asked to demonstrate a particular competency?

    • Usual questions tend to start in one of the following ways:

    • "Tell me about a time when..."
    • "Can you think of an example of how/when..."
    • "Describe a way in which you…"
  • These questions seek practical examples of key skills and will be looking for you to demonstrate that not only do you understand what the competence is, but also talk through examples of where you’ve applied the same skills or talk through how you would manage the particular scenario.

    • How to answer:

    • Review the job description and prepare examples of how you’ve demonstrated the competencies outlined.
    • Use experiences from work, education or extracurricular activities to showcase these skills.
    • If you haven't had the opportunity to practically apply them, think about how you would.

    Use the STAR method:

  • Situation, Task, Action, Result. Sounds simple, and in reality it is. Using this structure allows you to give a clear, concise answer that provides the right amount of detail. Think of your answers like a story with a start, middle and end, allowing the interviewer to know where your example comes from, see how and why you did what you did and what happened as a result.

    • Top tips:

    • Prepare examples for each key competency listed in the job description then practice talking through them.
    • Draw from diverse experiences so not all your answers come from the same source
    • Be honest — don’t exaggerate or lie.
    • Make sure answers are based on actions you’ve carried out rather than talking about what someone else did.
    • Where possible, avoid thinking on the spot; preparation is key.


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